Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used systems of healing in the world. Originating in China some 3,500 years ago, but only in the last few decades becoming more popular and acceptable as the west see prove of its wide success in treating illnesses that orthodox medicine have failed to cure.

Traditional Chinese medicine asserts that there are as many as 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body, which are connected by 20 pathways (12 main, 8 secondary) called meridians. These meridians conduct energy, or Qi (pronounced "chee"), between the surface of the body and its internal organs. Each point has a different effect on the Qi that passes through it. Qi is believed to help regulate balance in the body. It is influenced by the opposing forces of yin and yang, which represent positive and negative energy and forces in the universe and human body.

Acupuncture is believed to keep the balance between yin and yang, thus allowing for the normal flow of Qi throughout the body and restoring health to the mind and body.
Unlike hypodermic needles, acupuncture needles are solid and hair-thin, and they are not designed to cut the skin. They are also inserted to much more shallow levels than hypodermic needles, generally no more than a half-inch to an inch depending on the type of treatment being delivered. While each person experiences acupuncture differently, most people feel only a minimal amount of pain as the needles are inserted. Some people reportedly feel a tingly sensation, or a pinch combined with a deep feeling of relaxation.

An ancient oriental healing technique discovered and developed more than three thousand years ago, acupuncture is based on Taoist philosophy. The aim is to balance the energy meridians to permit the body to "heal itself. A relatively painless technique, it is administered by inserting fine needles at key points of the body that relate to different organs in order to relieve muscular, neurological and arthritic problems, cure disease and relieve pain.

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